McCabe's century of caps fuels Ireland's quest for qualification

HUNDRED AND COUNTING: International playoffs and Katie McCabe haven’t always been compatible bedfellows but, on the occasion of her 100th cap, this one in Belgium must. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

International playoffs and Katie McCabe haven’t always been compatible bedfellows but, on the occasion of her 100th cap, this one in Belgium must.

Much of the legwork in clearing the path towards the 2027 World Cup was conquered by Friday’s 4-2 first leg win.

Completing the mission against a Red Flames side intent on belatedly blazing a trail back to their League A habitat is her next objective.

Belgium’s position of 20th in the world, seven spots ahead of McCabe’s Ireland, underlines how a two-goal deficit isn’t unrealistic to replenish on their home patch.

Only six months ago in the same Den Dreef they inflicted defeat on back-to-back Euro champions England.

“The second goal we scored in Ireland is crucial for us,” said Belgian manager Elisabet Gunnarsdottir of their late reply at Lansdowne Road.

“It would have been a different mountain to climb but two goals is really, really possible for us.” 

Composure will be crucial for Ireland on what’s certain to a tense night in Leuven. The town situated 20 minutes east of central Brussels is renowned for, among other distinctions, housing the largest university in Belgium.

We can hope that through the passing of time, recently beyond the 30th birthday threshold, that Ireland captain McCabe has learned from past experiences of how to handle these occasions.

Her first encounter with this jeopardy came in the depths of covid-19, the 2020 visit to Ukraine for a shot at facing Northern Ireland to qualify for the Euros.

A deserted Obolon Arena in Kyiv afforded an audible insight to the frustrations of the skipper, incurring a booking before ushered away from the referee by her then partner Ruesha Littlejohn to avoid another.

Her lax penalty crashing off the crossbar on a night Ireland crashed out to an own goal compounded the misery.

There was no brushes with implosion in the 2021 playoff win over Scotland, the night Ireland sealed their place at the World Cup, but when the Euros drought was there to be ended last December, the energetic exuberance of McCabe was misdirected.

Signs were evident at the pre-match press conference when the captain interjected on a couple of occasions to answer questions directed to manager Eileen Gleeson.

Accusing opponents Wales of ‘cheap shots’ could be placed in the bracket of mild mind-games.

Giddiness was understandable, considering a 1-1 first-leg draw for the favourites offered a window to power over the line at Lansdowne Road, yet it spilled over in the wrong fashion.

Playing on the edge is part of McCabe’s repertoire, as Ireland manager Carla Ward likened to Roy Keane, but she was fortunate not to leave her team a player less after an early booking was followed by a lunge. She still, with a giggle, dismissed that tackle as a slip.

It was considered serious enough to be raised by the FAI hierarchy in a subsequent review which led to Gleeson and her assistant Colin Healy being dismissed within a week.

The question of whether management ought to have made the bold call, for the greater good, of hooking their lynchpin got an airing.

Stephanie Frappart is the world’s most famous female referee and won’t tolerate any overzealousness.

There’s no indication McCabe will be similarly wound up as last year’s playoff but there’s every chance the Belgians will test her temperament, particularly if the tie swings back in their favour. They’ve grizzled campaigners across their roster too.

That McCabe is settled into the position of left-wing back of a five-player defensive unit engenders stability.

Debate swirled for years about her talents being wasted in Ireland’s half and Ward experimented two games into her reign by pushing McCabe into an advanced role. It was ditched midway through a 4-0 drubbing in Koper.

“Katie and myself spoke a lot over the summer about being more difficult to beat while still trying to play with the ball,” explained Ward about reconciling herself with the optimal role for the Gunner.

“Getting Chloe Mustaki, as another left-sided defender, in the team on Friday helped us brilliantly and we’ve to try to replicate that.” 

And Belgium must stop that fluency. “Katie McCabe is a world-class player and everyone knows that,” affirmed Gunnarsdottir, the Belgian manager still wounded by the way McCabe tore his team asunder.

“Ireland really showed up from minute one with aggressiveness. In a game of duels, they showed more will than we had in our team.” 

Ten and half years on from her debut, McCabe must oversee that aggression remaining, albeit channelled on the right side of the tightrope.

Although half of the squad being over the age of 28 has attracted criticism in terms of succession planning, it should breed calm heads.

Denise O’Sullivan and Ruesha Littlejohn are as capable as McCabe of engaging in combat without breaching the borderline.

Hurt from the Welsh slaying cannot be translated into indiscipline.

“We all want more,” she declared about her tournament ambitions.

“We know what it felt to represent Ireland at the World Cup in Australia in 2023, so the disappointment of the Euros again hit us hard as a team.

“But we couldn’t stick around and feel sorry for ourselves.

“We must go again - using those losses against Wales and Ukraine to put things right.

“We're ready for this and must ensure we take the opportunity.”